was a low baritone, smooth a

f unwelcome familiarity through her. She pushed the feeli

ed, extending a ha

warm and dry. The contact lasted only a second

h unspoken questions. Julia decided to be direct. There was n

arried urgently. This is a transaction." She laid it all out-her mother's illness, the crushing debt, the dead

nk mask, his dark eyes unreadable. It was like talking to a statue.

ere in your personal life," she added quickly. "We

hing her completely off guard. "Y

ow did he know

d coolly, "It was in the backgr

f course. He'd had her investigated. "Yes," sh

t she thought she saw something

er. "The file also mentioned you spent the night at the Four Seasons tw

r deepest shame. She gripped her hands together in her lap, her nails digging into

slide out of the booth. "I'm sorry. If this is a

. It wasn't a reque

seat, trapped by the

hen he said the last thing she ever expec

ank. "Now?" she

ncing at the expensive watch on his wris

o place. "Why?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "Why wou

orate merger. "Your past is irrelevant. What matters i

nson, she couldn't afford to be naive. She met his g

e firm, "I need to see a full financial bac

d by her audacity. Instead, one of his dark eyebr

," he

er, a man in a suit appeared at their table, holding a sealed manila envel

across the table to her.

aze, Julia broke the s